The Gray Area

(Image, 2004)
™ and ©2004 Glen Brunswick and John Romita Jr.

Legendary comics veteran John Romita Jr. teamed up with writer Glen Brunswick to produce his first creator–owned comic; originally scheduled to publish under Marvel's Epic imprint, the three–issue miniseries found a home in Image when the creator–owned line was postponed. Rudy Chance is a narcotics detective for the NYPD, with a family, a goombah on the side, and a $10,000/week retainer from the local drug cartel. An attempt to extort more money from the cartel leads to the death of his wife, his child, and ultimately himself. As his disembodied spirit tries to come to grips with what happened, a mysterious figure whisks him away to the eponymous Gray Area, where billions of souls linger in limbo. But just by looking at him it’s clear he’s not one of them, and soon the mysterious “Jordan” will explain exactly what his new duties are. The supernatural aspects don't show up until the last six pages, but the rest of the book blends action, exposition and potential future plot hooks into a tidy adventure.

— Joe Trela

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